Living in Lanikai - As Told to Me by One Lanikai Kailua Resident

Saturday morning in Lanikai:  I’m sure its safe to say that most, if not all people look forward to the weekend! I am no exception. I love the weekends! And for the past 2 years we have been extremely blessed with the opportunity to be spending our weekends at our family home in Lanikai, Kailua.

We wake at 6am every morning. My alarm clock is my 2 year old daughter. But I really don’t mind at all. She makes her way to my bed in the dark to let me know “the sun’s coming up, I wake up! mommy, I’m HUNGRY, lets go downstairs.” It’s the same every morning. 

I take her downstairs and make breakfast, and we sit together at the dining table and watch the sun rise from behind the Mokuluas. These are Lanikai’s twin Islands situated about a 1/2 mile from shore, which often are often pictures to  symbolize Kailua and Lanikai.

The day has started. I put my little alarm clock into the stroller and it’s time to take our usual Saturday morning jog around what locals call the “Lanikai Loop.” The sun is still low, so the temperature is perfect and the light beautiful. We round the end of Mokulua Drive as it becomes A’alapapa and head back North towards Kailua Town.

This morning, it wasn’t until we reached Lanikai Community Park that we spotted Wendy and Mocha. Wendy has lived in Lanikai for quite some years and walks her labradoodle “Mocha” every day around the Loop. They are some of the regulars we have gotten to know during our daily travels in the Lanikai neighborhood. People are always outside, exercising, heading to gorgeous Lanikai Beach, washing their cars or working in the yard. No reason to stay inside with this beautiful weather. Some people are hidden behind impressive gates on Lanikai beachfront properties, but you still often hear the laughter of both children and adults from beyond.

Lanikai Community Park is just one great feature of the Lanikai neighborhood in Kailua. It is kept up and maintained by the voluntary Lanikai Neighborhood Association. Besides the playground, which we frequent, there is a large grassy are for sporting activities and a pavillion/building with kitchen and bathroom facilities. People often reserve this for Baby Luaus or other large gatherings. There’s plenty of room at Lanikai Community Park for bouncy houses, tents and whatever else you might want to do. The Lanikai Neighborhood Association also maintains the little triangle strip of park space at the entry to the Lanikai neighborhood. Another nice place to stop and relax when you are living in Lanikai, or even when visiting.

It’s almost 8 am, as my husband returns from his canoe paddle. He is a member of the Lanikai Canoe Club and has been paddling with them for years. Canoe paddling is a very important activity for many on the island of Oahu, particularly in Lanikai, and some of the Clubs are quite competitive. Most are co-ed, and there are also clubs that are for beginners, teens, women only and also, seniors. Every year, there are 

My daughter decides she wants to ride her bike now, so we decide to take a walk up to the Kalapawai Market, just outside of the Lanikai area, near Kailua Beach Park, for some great coffee. Kalpawai Market was established in Kailua in 1932 and is a landmark in Kailua. You can’t miss it, the little dark green plantation-style building with goregous stalks of red ginger for sale, decorating the entry most days of the week. Go inside and say hello to friends and neighbors that you are sure to run into. Grab an espresso and a breakfast wrap. The barrista will call you by name and ask how you’ve been. Their deli is the best in the area, and they often serve hamburgers off the grill at lunchtime during the summer months. Don’t be suprised if you see people in swimsuits with surboards sticking out the back of their truck and sand covered feet. This is the closest commerical space to Kailua Beach. You might also run into a few tourists, staying at one of the many nearby “illegal” vacation rentals. There are no hotels in Kailua, so vacation rentals, which are not all illegal, are big business.

Saturdays are always very active days for my family, and by the time we make it back from the coffee shop my 2 year old has been for a 1/2 hour bike ride and played at the park. But she wants to go for a swim too! We have tents, umbrellas and plenty of water toys to entertain us all. So out come the paddle boards which are great for turtle spotting! my little water baby likes to lay on the front of the board and keep watch. Along with building sandcastles and playing with friends & neighbors we are busy all morning.

Around noon when everyone’s energy is starting to wane we head back to the house for lunch and some quite nap time. My husband and daughter are out to it, so this is my time for checking emails, getting in some missed reading and a little recovery time because as soon as they wake up it’s go go again.

And it is, the afternoon is filled with canoe rides out to the island, the small beach is great to base yourself and the reef , (depending on the ocean) is often a good surfing spot.

When our stomachs start to grumble it’s time to paddle back in, we rinse off the salt and sand under the outside shower, change and light up the grill. The cold beers are pulled from the fridge, the sun is disappearing behind the Ko’olau’s and another beautiful Saturday with it.

Sunday we’ll start by watching the sunrise from the Pillbox I think!